How to lose things in Bangkok

[Some posts are better to publish after the fact, not immediately after but maybe a month or so after when the chance of repeating the events is gone. This is one of those posts, but oh well.]

Last night, at like 3:30 in the morning, a friend and another friend and I hired a tuk-tuk. The ride began as any innocent, ol’ tuk-tuk ride does, which is to say it began as anything but innocent.

Within two stop lights, the driver started riding wheelies on green.

About halfway to the destination, the three of us in the back heard what sounded like something falling out of the tuk-tuk. After a couple quick looks, my friend realized the sound had been his hotel key, the key we’d just had
made a day or so before.

So we – meaning my second friend, the South African who can speak Thai – asked the driver to stop so we – now meaning all four of us – could get out in the dark and search the five-line road for a solitary key. And yeah, like the wheelies, thankfully the attempt was successful.

Back in the tuk-tuk driving again, my friend decided he’d get out. He climbed out the back of the tuk-tuk and rode standing on the rear bumper. Even though my other friend and I knew this wasn’t the brightest move in the lightbulb box, he didn’t climb back in until the tuk-tuk driver insisted it might not be safe.

So like I said, just an innocent, ol’ ride in a tuk-tuk. At 3:30am. In Bangkok. With crazy friends and a driver to match.

…

The next morning, my friend woke up to realize that not only did his key fall out of his pocket the night before but also his memory card for his camera and his SIM card for his phone, which means he lost all his pictures and his ability to register for classes at his university in the Netherlands next semester.